Chounti Kul water canal of downtown in shambles, amid claims of smart city project
By: Mudasir Ahmad Khan VOV
Srinagar
Chounti Kul water canal of downtown is in a very bad shape even as previous political dispensations have assured the people living around it that they would go for beautification and cleaning of this water canal. All the shelter sheds and old boats were removed and they were rehabilitated but the water canal could not get back its pristine glory.
Near Ziyarat of Syed Mansoor Sahab R.A, the foot bridge established over it has beneath it heaps of garbage and it looks like an unclean drainage system.
All the solid waste is being deposited in this water canal which was once having clean water and its aqua system has been completely destroyed because of filth around it.
The people living around this water canal want either the government to close down this water tributary or get it back in the shape. Even the water navigation is blocked from Chounti Kul to Sonur Kul or gold water canal which is also in bad shape.
Both these water canals in downtown Srinagar have become an eyesore for the people and most of them want the government to fill up them and not to use them as drains or as the dumping grounds for the solid waste.
Lakes and WaterWays Development Authority which is responsible for the upkeep of all the waterways in Kashmir valley has confined itself to Dal Lake as most of the engineering works are being done around this lake only because of the central funds available.
Other authorities like SMC have no time to look for such projects in the Srinagar city even as smart city projects are in full swing in the entire Srinagar city but the main two water canals have become the drains and also the dumping grounds for the solid wastes.
